In 1996, composer, producer, and guitar legend Ry Cooder went to Havana to record Cuba's last remaining folk music greats. The album sold millions and earned a Grammy award. Two years later he returned to Cuba with acclaimed director Wim Wenders to explore the life stories, vibrant personalities, and unforgettable music of these brilliant but overlooked performers. The finished film weaves the artists' biographies with glimpses of modern Cuba and the music heard in performance: first in the studio, then at sold-out concerts in Amsterdam and at Carnegie Hall. The film won most of the critics' awards in 2000 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.